Salt-shaker.



B. BITTEL.

v SALT SHAKER.

APPLICATION FILED APILB, 1911.

1,051,668, Patented Jan.28, 1913.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDWARD BIT'IEL, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

SALT-SHAKER.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, EDWARD Brr'rnn, a citizenof the United States, and a resident of Chicago, in the county of Cookand State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvementsin Salt-Shakers; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full,clear, and exact description thereof, reference being bad to theaccompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereonwhich form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to an improvement in salt shakers, and consistsof the matters hereinafter described and more particularly pointed outin the appended claim.

Great difficulty is had in the use of the ordinary salt shaker,particularly in damp weather, by reason of the fact that the grains ofsalt within the shaker stick together and form in lumps, which are toolarge to pass through the apertures in the 'cap or head of the shaker,and also for the reason that these apertures themselves be- V comeclogged up by the collection of moist salt which dries in and about saidapertures, thus almost completely closing them.

The object of the present invention is to provide a salt shaker toovercome these ditliculties and one in which a supply of fine dry saltmay be instantly produced at any time the shaker is to be used, and inwhich the discharge passages for the salt are always kept fully open andclean of incrusted salt, so the salt may be easily shaken or scatteredover the dish to be salted.

The advantages of my invention will appear more readily as I proceedwith my specification.

In the drawingsFigure 1 is a view representing a central verticalsection of a salt cellar provided with my improvements. Fig. 2 is a viewrepresenting a cross-section through the shaker in a plane indicated bythe line 2-2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a view representing a cross-sectionthrough the shaker in a plane indicated by the line 3-3 of Fig. 1. Fig.4 is a view representing a cross-section on the line 4:-4: of Fig. 1.Fig. 5 is a view representing a cross-section on line 55 of Fig. 1. Fig.6 is a perspective view of a flanged ring by means of which the cap orhead of the salt shaker is connected to the body. Fig. 7 is a partiallongitudinal central section of a shaker provided with a slightlymodified form of connecting ring.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed April 8,

Patented Jan. 28,1913.

1911. Serial No. 619,739.

Referring now more in detail to that cmbodiment of my inventionillustrated in the drawings10 indicates the body of the salt shakerwhich is of tubular form, closed at one end to provide a bottom 11, andhaving its other end 12 open.

15 indicates a cap or closure for the open end 12 of the body of theshaker. Said cap is rotatively connected to the body by means of a ring16. As shown in Figs. 1 to 6, in elusive, said ring is provided withspaced annular flanges 17, 18, each adapted for engagement with annulargrooves 17, 18, formed respectively in the outer cylindric surfaces ofthe cap 15 and of the body 12. Said ring 16 comprises hingedsectionslti, 16", pivotally connected together at one end by a hinge 16,and abutting against each other at their free ends, and adapted to beheld in abutting engagement by means of a spring snap 19, secured to onering section, and having a detent 19 adapted for engagement within ahole or opening 19 in the other ring section. The cap 15 has its base 15in the form of a truncated cone. The end 12 of the body 10 is providedwith a conical recess 12, the angle of the inclination of the cone beingsubstantially the same as that of the bottom of the cap, and the ring 16is of such length that when the body and cap are connected together bysaid ring, an annular space 20 is left between the base of the cap andthe end of the body. Opposite this annular space in the ring are formedspaced apertures 21 for the discharge of salt. The base of the cap isprovided with a plurality of radially extending ribs 15*, and the flattruncated part 15 of the base, which is also provided with ribs orindentations 15 to roughen its surface. Said ribs, as will presentlyappear, are adapted for grinding or scraping fresh dry salt from a saltbriquet, contained in the shaker.

In the bottom of the salt shaker is located a spring controlled follower22, which is of flat disk form and has in its periphery a notch 23adapted for engagement with a longitudinal rib 14 projecting radiallyinward from the inner wall of the body. Said disk is freely movable in adirection longitudinal of the body and is engaged on its under side by ahelical spring 24, which is interposed between said follower and amember made rigid with the body, in this case the bottom wall 11 of saidbody. Said spring tends to force said follower toward the open end 12 ofthe salt shaker and is preferably of a form such that'it may becollapsed into the plane of its bottom member so to permit a movement ofthe follower, as nearly as possible, equal to the depth of the shaker.The base of said .spring is held in central posit-ion on the bottom ofthe shaker by means of the rib 14 and lugs or shoulders 25 annularlyarranged on the bottom of the shaker. The upper end of the spring 24 isconnected to the follower 22 by means of a lug 22 My improved saltshaker is particularly adapted for use with a briquet consisting of saltcompressed into a solid block and having a form adapted to fit withinthe shaker body.

13 indicates a briquet of salt which in cross-section has substantiallythe same form as the cross-section of the chamber in the body. Saidbriquet fits loosely within the body 10 of the shaker so as to belongitudinally movable therein. The longitudinal rib 14E, projectinginwardly from the body wall is adapted for engagement with alongitudinal groove 13' in the briqu-et body, said constructionpreventing the rotation of said briquet while permitting its freelongitudinal movement.

The operation of the shaker is as follows: The briquet of salt 13 which,in the first instance is nearly of the same depth as the shaker, isplaced in the body of the shaker with a notch 13 in engagement with therib 14 of the body. Said briquet is pushed toward the bottom of theshaker thus compressing the spring 24, and the cap 15 is then placedwith its base against the top of the briquet. The ring 16 is thenclasped about the upper end of the body and about the cap with itsflanges 17 and 18 in engagement within the grooves 17*, 18*, formed insaid body and cap and is locked in place. The shaker is now ready foruse. lVhen it is desired to get salt from the shaker, the cap is rotatedwhich causes the ribs 15, 15 to scrape or grind a little of the salt offthe end of the briquet. The amount of salt ground from the briquet willof course depend upon the extent of the rotative movement of the cap.The shaker is then inclined with its top toward the ward the cap as thelength of the briquetis decreased in the use of the salt shaker.

In Fig. 7 I have shown a slightly modified way of securing the ring tothe body. In this case, the ring 16 is made integral and is providedwith a flange 16 at its upper end which engages an annular groove 16 inthe cap as before, but has an internal thread 16 at its lower endadapted for engagement with an external thread 16 on the upper end ofthe shaker.

While in describing my invention I have referred to certain details ofmechanical construction and arrangement it is to be under stood that myinvent-ion is not limited thereby except as may appear in the appendedclaim.

I claim as my invention- A salt shaker comprising a tubular body open atone end, a spring controlled follower movable endwise of said body andprovided with a notch, a longitudinal rib made rigid with the inner wallof said body and engaging within the notch of said follower, a rotativecap spaced from the end of said body and having a conical base, the endof said body being provided with a conical recess, and a ring providedwith flanges engaging respectively in annular grooves formed in saidbody and cap, said ring comprising hinged sections and being providedwith annularly arranged apertures for the passage of the salt, and meansfor locking said ring sections in position on said cap and body.

In testimony, that I claim the foregoing as my invention I aflix mysignature in the presence of two witnesses, this 3rd day of April A. D.1911.

EDI/VARD BITTEL. IVitnesses CLARENCE E. MEHLHOPE, GEORGE R. WILKINS.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C.

